{"id":268,"date":"2026-01-12T20:21:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T20:21:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/?p=268"},"modified":"2026-01-12T20:21:04","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T20:21:04","slug":"melissa-gilbert-deletes-social-media-as-husband-timothy-busfield-faces-arrest-for-child-sex-abuse-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/?p=268","title":{"rendered":"Melissa Gilbert deletes social media as husband Timothy Busfield faces arrest for child sex abuse charges"},"content":{"rendered":"

Melissa Gilbert has fled social media following the news that her husband, Timothy Busfield,\u00a0is facing arrest for child sex abuse charges<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0\u201cLittle House on the Prairie\u201d actress<\/a>, 61, no longer has active accounts on Instagram and Threads.<\/p>\n

The link to\u00a0her Instagram account\u00a0<\/a>now shows a message that reads, \u201cProfile isn\u2019t available. The link may be broken, or the profile may have been removed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Melissa9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield attend the \u201cNymphes D\u2019Or \u2013 Golden Nymphs\u201d nominees party in 2023.Corbis via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\"Melissa9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield attend \u201cThe Butcher Boy\u201d opening night in NYC in 2022.Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

However, Gilbert\u2019s Instagram account for her lifestyle brand, Modern Prairie, is still up and running.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The account\u00a0posted a video<\/a>\u00a0on Saturday of Gilbert making a snow angel, with a motivational message in the caption.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaturday\u2019s call: look for a sign \u2026 and when you find fresh snow, you make one,\u201d the caption began.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s reminder is simple: do what matters \u2014 step outside, laugh a little louder, and make space for joy,\u201d the message continued. \u201cBecause sometimes the most \u2018grown-up\u2019 thing we can do is drop into the moment and make snow angels like nobody\u2019s watching.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Post has reached out to Gilbert and Busfield\u2019s reps for comment.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Melissa9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Melissa Gilbert lying in the snow.officialmodernprairie\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An arrest warrant released Friday revealed that Busfield, 68, is wanted in New Mexico on two counts\u00a0of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.<\/p>\n

The Albuquerque Police Department alleged that the \u201cWest Wing\u201d alum engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with a pair of 11-year-old twins while directing the Fox show\u00a0\u201cThe Cleaning Lady\u201d\u00a0in 2024.<\/p>\n

Busfield, who worked on the program from 2022 to 2025 as a director, allegedly \u201cgrew closer to the boys\u201d during their time shooting the show, according to the warrant.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Timothy9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Timothy Busfield attends Chiller Theatre Expo Spring 2022 in New Jersey.Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\"Timothy9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Timothy Busfield at the \u201cFor Life\u201d New York premiere in 2020.ABC via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He allegedly told the kids to call him \u201cUncle Tim\u201d and tickled them on their stomach and legs, per the arrest warrant.<\/p>\n

The doc states Busfield spoke to detectives on the phone about the allegations in November 2025 and said it was \u201chighly likely\u201d that he had \u201cphysical contact\u201d with the boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t remember those boys,\u201d he also said, according to the affidavit. \u201cNo, I don\u2019t. I don\u2019t actually, I don\u2019t remember it, if it happened. I don\u2019t remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldn\u2019t be uncommon for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gilbert, who has been married to Busfield since 2013, allegedly listened in on her husband\u2019s call with investigators via speaker phone, according to the affidavit. Gilbert is not accused of any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear if Busfield has been booked as of Monday morning.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Melissa9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield attend the 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival in 2023.Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\"Melissa9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Melissa Gilbert hugging her husband Timothy Busfield at the 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival.Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Six months before the arrest warrant came out, Gilbert shared the secret to the couple\u2019s long-lasting marriage on Jennie Garth\u2019s\u00a0\u201cI Choose Me\u201d podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s part and parcel of the fact that it\u2019s a partnership, that we do everything with the other one in mind, and we are very considerate of one another and we respect each other immensely,\u201d she said during the July 2025 episode. \u201cAnd so there are no decisions that are made singularly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Melissa9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Melissa Gilbert seen during a segment of \u201cGood Day New York\u201d in February 2025.Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cEverything is discussed, shared, and there\u2019s so much comfort in that, and it\u2019s so much gentler and easier,\u201d Gilbert added. \u201cI mean, you know, we all have our moments, but they\u2019re so few and far between with both of us. Even our arguments are constructive.\u201d<\/p>\n

During a 2023 interview with\u00a0People<\/a>, Gilbert opened up about her and Busfield\u2019s joyous roles as grandparents.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Timothy9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Timothy Busfield and Melissa Gilbert pose for a portrait in February 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Melissa Gilbert has fled social media following the news that her husband, Timothy Busfield,\u00a0is facing arrest for child sex abuse charges. The\u00a0\u201cLittle House on the Prairie\u201d actress,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":269,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=268"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":270,"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268\/revisions\/270"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webunews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}